BBQ Baked Beans

BBQ baked beans are a quick, easy crowd-pleaser made with brown sugar, bacon, and a mix of canned beans that bake up perfectly in the oven.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine appetizer, picnic food, Side dishes, Summer

Diet Low Lactose

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 524kcal

12 ounces bacon cooked until crisp and crumbled (reserve 3 slices to the side)
56 ounces Bush's Baked Beans Two 28 ounce cans, partly drained (your choice of flavor, I went with original)
43 ounces beans Three 14.5 oz. cans of beans, drained (I went with Pinto, Great Northern and Black Beans because I like the variety of colors)
1 cup onion chopped
½ cup tomato ketchup
½ cup brown sugar + a little bit to sprinkle on top
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1 pound ground beef cooked and drained (optional- I didn't include this)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients (except for the reserved 3 slices crumbled bacon) until well combined.
Pour it into a large baking dish and sprinkle a bit of brown sugar and the remaining 3 slices of crumbled bacon on top.
Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Partly drain the canned Bush's Baked Beans before mixing. Too much liquid makes the dish soupy, but fully drained beans will cause the dish to dry out in the oven.
Reserve a few slices of bacon to crumble on top before baking, so every bite gets a bit of extra smoky flavor.
Adjust the sweetness by adding a little more or less brown sugar to taste.
Turn this into a full meal by browning then draining about a pound of ground beef and mixing it in before baking.
Use a cast iron or oven-safe skillet instead of a baking dish if you want extra caramelization on the bottom and edges.
Stir halfway through baking so the top doesn't dry out while the beans cook evenly.
Halve the recipe if you're cooking for a smaller crowd, since this makes a pretty large batch.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Cook and crumble the bacon and chop the onion up to a day in advance.
Leftovers